Christmas Party
by madaboutalice123
Summary: Some Shoe Lane festivities.


AN - A little slice of Christmas entertainment from a Shoe Lane Christmas party

I promise there will be more writing in the new year, and especially some things in the form of some prompts which will hopefully jump into the new year with us after many conversations and plotting with lovely Anna. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Ax

* * *

"What are you doing?" Martha hissed as Clive's fingers encircled her wrist and he pulled her out of the anteroom and down the hallway. She glanced behind them, wondering if anyone had noticed their departure, but the pre-lunch drinks appeared to be holding everyone's attention and no one even looked in the direction of the corridor as they left.

He merely winked at her, continuing his path towards their office and only stopping outside the door, his free hand coming to rest on the handle.

"Clive...?" She narrowed her eyes at him but didn't get to say anything more before she found herself being steered through the door and then pressed back against it as she heard the lock turn behind her.

His hands had found their way to her hips, anchoring her in place between his body and the solid wood of the door, fingers deftly sliding between her blouse and skirt and making her gasp slightly as he brushed over newly bared skin.

"Shhh," Clive's smirking mouth hovered millimetres from hers as if daring her to say something, and when she didn't he closed the gap and caught her lips in a kiss that was almost as far from chaste as she could imagine.

The chiselled wood of the door dug into her back and the doorjamb pressed against her shoulder but the uncomfortableness of the situation barely registered in Martha's mind as Clive's hands continued to wander under her blouse and one knee nudged between hers. His intentions were obvious and as his thigh pushed her skirt higher she found she didn't really care as long as he wasn't going to stop, simply tilting her head for better access to his kiss and letting her fingers twist in his hair.

"Drink?" Clive suggested after their breathing had slowed and Martha had unwound her legs from his waist.

"I don't think either of us are presentable enough to leave this room just yet".

He laughed and stepped away from her, letting his fingers linger on her hips as long as he could, "Scotch?"

She rolled her eyes, "Are you trying to get me drunk? You can't give me scotch when I've already had wine, and we haven't eaten yet".

"Didn't need to get you drunk to have sex against our office door," Clive winked over his shoulder as he crossed the office to where a half full decanter sat on the side table. "Well?"

"You're right about the most irritating things," she said, "Fine, but don't pour me too much".

Completely ignoring her request, he poured more than a measure into each glass and sank into his desk chair, swivelling to face Martha as she still leant against the door. "God, you're gorgeous," there was no hint of teasing in his voice, only honesty as he spoke. "Come here?"

She left her shoes where they had fallen on the floor and padded across the room to take a seat on Clive's desk, her knees brushing his as he leaned to give her a tumbler and rest a hand on her leg. "You ok?"

"Mmm," Martha nodded, a smile playing at the corner of her lips, "Yeah, you?"

"Definitely".

They sipped scotch in easy silence until whooping voices and laughter floated through the building from the ante room where the drinks were evidently still flowing.

"We should probably re-join the masses; it won't be long before we're missed," Martha mused, glancing at her watch, "And we'll probably be leaving to go to lunch fairly soon".

"I don't see how it can be classed as lunch," Clive groaned, "When it's at 3 in the afternoon. They're all going to be hammered already".

Downing the remainder of her drink in one, Martha slipped off the desk and rested her hands on his shoulders, "Don't whinge," she said, leaning down to kiss him thoroughly if briefly.

He grinned, "Will if I want. Especially if that's the alternative".

"Well, if they're that drunk they might not notice if we disappear later," she wasn't looking at him as she spoke, attention focused on putting her shoes back on and straightening her clothes properly, and could only imagine the expression on his face when she heard him splutter a laugh.

"Is that a challenge Miss Costello?"

"If you want it to be".

It only took him a few seconds to move from his desk, across the room and crush his lips to hers again with something akin to a groan, "Jesus Marth".

"You started it," she laughed when they parted. "Now, dare I ask where you chose to fling my underwear?"

"I didn't fling it anywhere".

One eyebrow arched, she shook her head and held out a hand, "Clive..."

Reaching around her with a wink, he unlocked the door and started to pull it open when Martha caught his arm, "I am not going the rest of the day without underwear".

"If you say that any louder they might hear you". He wrapped an arm over her shoulders to direct her out of the door, "You'll manage. Come on, we're supposed to be at a party".

She elbowed him in the ribs but allowed him to hold her against his side as they left their office, "You're the one who made us leave it".

"Mmm, and aren't you glad I did?" Clive commented as the raucous laughter and bad singing from their colleagues met their ears.

"Being smug doesn't suit you". She tried to lean away from him, but his arm squeezed her a little tighter and she gave in to another kiss with a shake of her head and a smile.

They slipped back into the busy room and Clive swiped two glasses of wine from the table, "I think we've got some catching up to do by the looks of things".

Martha accepted the glass and followed his gaze to where John and Jake were attempting to coerce some of the more junior end into a drinking game. "If you get that drunk you'll have no hope of holding me against a wall again," she pointed out in a low voice. "And we are not having a repeat of last years Christmas party either".

"No," he agreed, pulling a face as he thought back to the previous year when they had both had far too much to drink and decided it was the right moment to discuss their more than friendly feelings towards each other and it had ended in a horrible row. Things were only resolved two days later, after their hangovers had abated, and they had finally settled into what Billy termed a 'grown up relationship'. "That wasn't our finest hour, was it? I'd hope we were beyond that now though".

"Mmm, I think so," Martha briefly pressed herself against him and kissed his jaw. "We should probably stop looking suspect in a corner and actually talk to people".

"If you're going to keep doing things like that, or saying insinuating things," Clive murmured, "I'm not leaving this corner and nor are you".

She repeated the action, leaving a scarlet smudge of lipstick on his skin, and smiled before turning away and disappearing in the mass of people in the room.

Clive exhaled slowly, fighting the urge to pull her back and out of the room once again, and instead made his way to talk to CW who he could see was unenthused by her conversation with Alexander.

Christmas music flooded out of the pub as John pulled the door open and led the way inside, spying a free table under one of the windows. About half of the members of Shoe Lane were continuing the drinking element of the Christmas party after their late lunch, and while some were considerably worse for wear, everyone was still in good spirits and happy to stay out.

As Martha reached to hold the door open, a familiar hand closed around hers and pulled her away to lean against the wall below flickering Christmas lights. Her fingers automatically threaded through Clive's hair as he bent to capture her lips with his and she could feel his hands gripping her waist through her coat.

Clive could tell that the brief but intense kiss had caught her off guard and moved back with a wink, smiling at her slightly glazed eyes. "Should probably catch the others up".

She tried to draw him closer again but failed as he reached for the door, his actions prompting a scowl. "Tease".

"Mmm, perhaps," he admitted, "But you were the one teasing at lunch".

Reluctantly Martha laughed and followed him through the door and into the pub, "I thought it was quite fun".

She had spent a fair amount of time during lunch trailing her fingers over his thighs and slightly higher or pressing against his side where possible, attempting to wind him up which seemed to have worked fairly well. While their relationship wasn't a secret, it wasn't something they advertised and so people who didn't know accepted that their flirting and closeness was merely a slightly drunken version of their usual selves and didn't pass judgement or comment on it.

Clive's hand rested lightly against her hip as he looked towards the bar, "What do you want?"

One eyebrow raised, her expression conveyed her real answer without the need for words and he grinned, fingers squeezing slightly in response.

"Gin and bitter lemon please. Unless that wasn't what you were offering…?"

"Flirt".

"You like it".

Martha left him at the bar and slid into a seat beside Bethany, pulling a questioning face at the younger girl who was watching the antics of some of the other clerks with an amused smile.

"They've got those cinnamon bomb drinks," she explained after they both watched John sniffing suspiciously at a glass, "But none of them are actually brave enough to drink one. I think it's supposed to be like drinking roulette".

"Lovely," Martha wrinkled her nose, "Boys will be boys".

"I seem to remember you being just as bad in the past Miss," Billy called from the other side of the table with a grin.

"The past Billy," she pointed out, "Is exactly that".

Alexander, three sheets to the wind, joined in, "Come on, you've drank half of us under the table before now Martha!"

"Not something I'm planning to do this evening," she laughed ruefully, a vague admittance that his words were correct.

"Thought it was my turn to buy," Martha looked over her shoulder as Clive appeared next to her at the bar.

"It is. But the others don't realise that the queue this side is shorter than the other side," he deftly moved them both away from the bar before someone asked for their order. "So I'm taking advantage".

"You are not taking advantage of me in a pub Clive Reader".

He was grinning as he directed her towards an empty corner booth that was out of sight of the majority of the pub, "I don't think it can be classed as taking advantage when you're not resisting".

"You know what I mean".

His answer was only to curl a hand around the back of her neck and kiss her in the same way he had done in their officer earlier in the day. It was almost impossible for her to resist him and so she easily gave in, sliding one hand over his hip and down to his bum, mimicking his own movements.

"I feel like a teenager," Martha muttered, resting her forehead against his cheek, "Snogging a boy in the back of a pub".

Clive laughed and tilted her chin up again with a forefinger to give her another kiss. "Is that a bad thing?"

"I didn't say that," she poked his side, hand lingering briefly. "Drinks".

"We could leave and carry this on at home," his tone was slightly teasing but she knew he meant it more seriously, "After all, I started undressing you hours ago".

Martha shoved his chest, "Bar, now. I still can't believe you've hidden them".

He slowly moved off the seat and stood up, holding out a hand to pull her after him and keeping hold of her as they went to the bar, "I think is this definitely something we could try on Christmas Day".

"What is?"

"Sneaking off," he bent to talk in her ear, "For sex. Teasing. Hiding in dark corners for a quick…"

He tailed off as she spoke to the barman before raising one eyebrow at him, "We're going to your parents house. Do you really think that'll work?"

"Worth a try if I can have you," he grinned cheekily, "Don't be dull".

"You're the youngest of four, I bet it's been tried before".

"What do you want to bet?" Clive's hand ventured along her thigh, tracing the top of her stocking.

"Figure of speech," Martha retorted, handing the barman some money and picking up her drink to take a sip, "We're not taking bets on whether your parents would notice us disappearing for a quick shag before Christmas Day lunch!"

His hand slid higher, although still on the outside of her skirt, drawing a line where he knew her knickers would be, if they weren't tucked into his pocket. "You were the one who challenged me earlier".

"Pub Clive," she put the change in her purse and pushed his glass towards him, "Quite different to the office".

"Which is quite different to home," he pointed out, letting her move away from the bar before stopping her progress back to their table and covering her mouth with his again.

She let him for a few seconds but pulled away from the kiss before it got too involved, "You've got lipstick all over your mouth".

Vaguely scrubbing at it with his thumb, Clive shrugged, "I'll live".

"Took you long enough Miss," Billy chided as they returned to the table, "Even young Bethany got served faster than that".

"Sounds fair," Martha laughed, sending Bethany a smile. "What did I miss?"

Suddenly reappearing with a triumphant grin and a clap, John announced, "Drink up! Back to mine for drinks and everything! Mel's on her Christmas do as well, meeting us at home!"

Clive looked questioningly towards Marc, who raised his drink towards the older man, "Closing time soon, so we're carrying on at John's flat. Somehow Alexander's collected the booze we didn't drink at chambers earlier so we've got all that. You coming?"

People began to finish their drinks and shift out of their chairs at John's words; the plan for the remainder of the evening had cleared been discussed in their absence, Clive realised. Slightly disappointed that closing time at the pub might no longer mean home time for himself and Martha, he glanced towards her, "What do you think?"

She shrugged, taking a drink, "Don't mind. It's on our way". Shifting slightly closer to him, she murmured, "I know it's not home, but I did give you a challenge Mr Reader".

Clive coughed into his glass and looked at her with wide eyes, "Did you actually just suggest that?"

She winked and put her glass on the table, still half full, and slid a hand around his waist, "You started all this".

"How drunk are you?"

"Not nearly as drunk as people probably think I am". The way she was holding on to him might have meant one thing to the two of them, but would easily be seen by others as a steadying gesture. "You?"

"Not drunk enough that I couldn't pin you against a wall again," he repeated her own words back to her with a grin. "Misbehaving like this makes things far more fun. And I'd like to remember it".

"One minute you're teasing me about it, now you're condoning it; make your mind up".

Clive set his glass down and reached over to pick their coats up from the back of a chair, "Challenge accepted".

He briefly glanced around the table to see if anything had been left behind in the wake of the sudden change in plans and hasty departure; satisfied they were leaving only empty glasses, Clive linked his fingers through Martha's and they followed the others out the door.

Outside there had been some sort of rush for taxis and James stood dithering on the pavement while Alexander waved an arm at him from the back of a taxi, "Get in mate! Come on".

"We'll get another one," Martha made a shooing motion at him, "Go ahead".

As he did as she said and the car door swung shut with a heavy thud, she leaned back against Clive, head resting on his shoulder so she could press her lips to his neck.

"Making me look like I've been got by a vampire," Clive muttered even as his hands wrapped around her waist to keep her close.

"Keep others away from you," she teased, moving across his jaw until he tilted his head down enough for their mouths to meet.

It wasn't long until another couple of taxis pulled up to the curb and a man further back in the queue shouted to them, "Oi, you two! Take yourselves home for that and give the rest of us a chance to get a cab somewhere else for some fun!"

Martha laughed as they parted and raised a hand towards the man who had spoken, "Sorry, hope you have a good evening!" before following Clive into the taxi and sliding against his side.

As the car pulled away from the pavement and merged into the traffic, the driver glanced over his shoulder, "Where to?"

Clive answered and recited his address to the driver, shrugging when Martha looked quizzically at him, "Don't care if I'm losing your challenge, I'd rather just take you home and not have to be subtle about anything".

"I suppose I can live with that".

"You don't really have a choice," he smiled and kissed her softly, a contrast to the other ones they had shared throughout the day, "Considering we just bought a house".

"Can't really back out now".

"Not really," he agreed, "Thirteen days until we get the keys".

She laughed, "Thirteen days, and then only three for you to fulfill your promise of sex in every room before mum and Liz are staying".

Clive gave a mock groan, "As much as I like your mum and sister, did they have to come back from Australia quite so soon after Christmas? And please, don't mention sex and them in the same sentence again Marth".

"Sorry," her apology was lacking any sincerity as she still laughed, "I have no idea why Liz is coming back for a holiday now, London can be bad enough at this time of year, let alone Manchester. It's only three days anyway, and then a night before she flies back".

"I guess we'll just have to make good use of the time before then".

The hand that had been lightly resting on her leg started to creep higher and although his touch was familiar, she still shivered slightly, "I'm not sure if this is better or worse than the pub".

"Nearly back now," Clive pointed out after a brief glance out the window before returning his attention to her, hand continuing its path as he pressed their lips together.

Even though the taxi journey had been relatively short, especially when their conversation hadmostly ceased, they had found the time for their hands to wander, and by the time Clive had unlocked the front door to his flat both of their shirts were mostly undone under their coats.

Martha dropped her handbag on the hall floor and was stepping out of her shoes when Clive stopped her. "Leave them on," he asked with a sly smile, reaching out to peel her coat off and finish unbuttoning her blouse.

She did as he asked and caught his hands when he had finished with her buttons, blouse joining their coats on the floor, "Bedroom, we don't need to christen this hallway".

He smiled his agreement against her mouth amidst another deep kiss and let her pull him towards the bedroom, briefly parting to open the door and mutter, "I think this is a Christmas party we could repeat next year".


End file.
